1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a rotary file cabinet, and more particularly to a rotary file and/or storage cabinet having a rotor file assembly that includes a rotatable support apparatus that is readily rotatable about a vertical axis which provides a well balanced configuration so as to carry various shelf structures or other related storage structures in two oppositely positioned storage bay sections during the rotation of the rotor file assembly from one position to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, various problems and difficulties are encountered in providing suitable means for operating and supporting various rotatable file structures that are employed in rotary file cabinets.
Many types of rotary file cabinets have been tried, suggested and several are in use at this time. However, these known rotary file cabinets have various limitations that restrict their use and are unsuitable for extended use due to the inadequate designs of their respective rotary support systems or assemblies. Such known systems are commonly employed as a means of supporting and rotating a particular file support structure. Many rotatable support systems are not adequately designed to carry the heavy loads that are supported within their structures, and this is particularly true when a load is unequally distributed on the shelves within the file bays of the cabinet. Moreover, many of the known commercial rotary file cabinets are complicated, not only in their construction but also in their operation, and thus are often expensive to maintain. As examples of some of the known rotary file cabinets one may refer to any of the following United States Patents.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,157 to Gerard A. Robinson a rotary file cabinet which comprises a cabinet having a top cover and a base member which itself forms part of a rotatable bearing unit. The particular arrangement of the rotatable bearing unit is often referred to as a lazy-susan and includes an upper bearing plate and a lower bearing plate which is part of the top wall of the base member. Both bearing plates are formed having matching circular ring-shaped depressions which together define a ball race for balls as is well known in the art for this type of bearing structure. Thus, the Robinson's bearing device is the principle supporting means for the rotatable shelf structure as the bearing device is interposed between the base member and the rotary shelf structure which is completely supported by the bearing device. The rotatable shelf structure is held in a vertical alignment by a trunion member defined by an axle pin mounted in the upper cover which is received in an aligned small bushing and a pivot bolt that is centrally mounted in the bottom of the rotatable shelf structure and affixed to the base member.
Other types of rotary file cabinets having similar flat rotary support bearing units are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,060, U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,311, U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,966 and U.S. Pat. 4,300,809 to Sherwood S. Brownlee, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,964 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,966 to Frederick H. Grubb, Jr.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,549 to Frank Potter, there is disclosed a cabinet having a rotary file unit supported by an inner post having an outer hexagon rotatable post on which are mounted a plurality of radial shelves.